Panic-bolt mechanism.



R. S. GOLD.

PANIC BOLT MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1914.

vPaizented Mar. 2, 1915.

F 1/ W W 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A avwewtm JGOZQZ THE NORRIS PETERS co, FHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. LL C.

R. S. GOLD.

PANIC BOLT MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHBE'l'Sa-SHBET 2 l I um l min I!- R.. S. GOLD.

' PANIC BOLT MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FusseZZJ. Gold latching means.

RUSSELL SKIFF GOLD, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO Ill-IEAMERICAN HARDWARE CORPORATION, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ACORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

amazes.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUssnLL S. GOLD, acitizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, Hartford county,Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPanic-Bolt Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to panic bolt mechanism and is designed primarilyto provide a panic bolt of very simple construction which operates onthe gravity principle and which, in addition to numerous structuraladvantages, is provided with an automatic latching and retaining device,all of which will be seen from the detailed specification fol.- lowing.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a door equipped with thepanic bolt mechanism of the present invention, the view being a sectionon the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a view in edge elevation of theparts shown in Fig. 1, the door being closed and latched. Fig. 3 is asimilar view, but with the bolt retracted from locked position and withthe door partially open, the panic bolt being held in retracted positionby the automatic Figs l to 11 inclusive illustrate enlarged details ofthe bolt mechanism.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the usual swingingdoor, upon the inner face of which the panic bolt mechanism is mounted.Seated in the floor adjacent the edge of the door in closed position, isa flush plate 2, having an upwardly projecting stop member 3 arranged toengage the inner face of the door when the latter is in fully closedposition. The door is preferably provided at this point with a strikeplate shown at 4. The door casing at the inner side of the door hassecured thereto and depending therefrom, an angular bracket platecomprising the base portion 5 extending horizontally and secured to theface of the door casing, and the vertical depending latch plate 6 havinga latch aperture 6 therein designed to receive and hold a hooked boltend. Extending transversely of the door is an operating bar 7 having itsends inturned at 8 and provided with short stub shafts or pivot pins 9,which journal into outwardly extending arms 10 of bracket plates 11secured to the door by appropriate means.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PANIC-BOLT MECHANISM.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed July 3, 1914. Serial No. 848,719.

Extending vertically of the door adjacent its swinging edge is a gravityactuated bar or rod 12, preferably in the form of heavy metal tubing.Intermediate its ends this bar is provided with an enlarged centralportion 13 having a recess 14 therethrough providing spaced andoppositely disposed V- shaped abutment surfaces 14 This recessed portionis designed to receive an actuatlng arm carried by and operated from thecross bar 7, as will be hereinafter pointed out. The bar 12 is guidedfor vertical move ment and is positioned to extend across the face ofthe outermost bracket plate 11 with its enlarged portion 13 positionedover said bracket plate. The inturned end 8 of the cross bar whichcoperates with this specific bracket plate, is provided with anactuating arm 15 shaped to extend into the slotted portion 14: of thebar 12, and to engage the opposite parallel faces of the ahutments 1%.The normal position of this actuating arm and cross bar with referenceto the gravity bar is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, fromwhich it will be seen that the crossbar is normally held outwardly bythe weight of the gravity bar. This gravity bar provides the boltportion of the panic bolt mechanism. It is guided for vertical movementby a plurality of brackets, two being shown in the drawings. One ofthese brackets, in the present instance the lower bracket, shown at 16,is provided with the guiding bore through which the lower end of the bar12 extends. The gravity bar at this point is provided with a verticallyextending slot 17 (Fig, 3) and the bracket 16 is provided with a pin 18extending into the slot and preventing turning movement of the gravitybar while permittingvertical movement. The upper end of the gravity barhas so cured thereto a head 19 having a transverse hooked portion 20projecting therefrom. The lugs 21 are also carried by the body 19 of thehead in line with the bar 12, these lugs extending transverselyoutwardly from the sides of the head and bar.

The upper end of the gravity bar 12 is guided through a suitable boreformed in a bracket 22, somewhat similar in construction to the bracket16 at the lower portion of the gravity bar, but which is provided aboveits bored portion with a transversely extending shelf 23. and with avertically extending back wall 24. The shelf 23 is used as a means forsupporting a gravity actuated latching member positioned on saidshelfbetween the wall 2% of thebracket and. the upper end of the gravity bar.;This

cut away to permit the passage of the gravitybar therethrough thelatching part resting on the shelf 23 at the point of itsangle andbemgretained against laterald splacement therefrom by the pin 2G projectingfrom thewall 2-): of the bracket and extending between 'the'lugs 27 atthe baseof the latch memberi v The lugs Zlcarried by the head of thegravity'bar, rest abovefthebase of the latchbar and they with the headof the bar, serve to maintain 1t in position on the shelf Space isprovided'for'the head of the. bar by cutting away thefiverti -i spacedarms 28 between which the bolt head may extend, these arms intermediatetheir length being provided with shoulders 29 designed to receive thelugs 21 of the bar head in one position of said head to support the barhead therefrom. These bars '28 are perfectly ri idly interconnected by atrans verse spanning portion The upper extP PAltlQS' O l the arms 28will be positioned on the door in line with abutment means in.

the form of spaced fingers 31 depending from the casing carried bracketplate 5 and :mo\ ed to release the head 19, as will be seen later. Thislatching member being L- shaped and having its longer arm extendingvertically will naturally by gravity tend to swing forwardly. With thedoor in closed position this will be prevented by reason of theengagement of thefingers 31 with'the upper ends of the spaced arms 28(see Fig,

2). lVith the door in closed position it will be noted that the hookedportion 20 of the bar head extends'throughthe aperture 6 otthe latchplate and drops downwardly the'reover, the lugs 2l being preferably freefrom engagement with the'latching member and the "lower end of the bar12, which forms the second bolt member, being posi tioned backof theabiltment 3; Assuming] now, that the'door is closed and in thisposition, and assuming also that pressure is exertedjaga nst the crossbar 7 from the injterior of the door, this will, by reason of the arm:15, move the bar 12 upwardly, its lower end clearing the abutment .3,and the hook 20at its upper end beingmoved upwardly clear ofthe;recessed edge of'the plate 6. This will position the'lugs 21in line withthe shoulders 29 of the latching member so that when the door ismovedoutwardly the lug 20' \vill be retracted 'throughthe apere titre-6 and,the pressure of fingers 31 being" removed, the latch member will drop.forwardly by gravity from the position 7 .shown in Fig. B'to'that shownin Fig. 3 bringing the shoulders; 29 beneath the lugs 21, so'tha'tfthe"weight of the-bar willrest on; this ;latehing "member. Cl This:gravity' latching member will thereforel i'old the bar 1 j with itsupper and lower latching ends in}.

free or. retracted position "and is held-[inf 20 of the tar head willhave been positioned through and beyond the-aperture m latch ing plate:6, so that when thelbar dropsthe hooked end 20 will Cli'OPi overftheedge of ca'l sides of .the latch member, formng" fies the plate; lockingthe door closed. 7 will" 'of'course be understood that the lower-fend ofthe barwhich in the open pOsitionot-the 7 door clears tl1eabutment;3,,'willgfwh'enthe ill I door 1s closed as above described, bebrought,beyond the inner edge of the abutment "3 r and when the bar is releasedby the means ust describedwill drop down against th s 1 abutment,therebylocking the tlooriclosed at the bottom while the hook 20'andplate 6 look the m r atf tlietopi 'Thefactthat provided means forguiding'the gravity for vertical movement .alone, and for "pi-ea ventingany rotary 'niovement \vill i-nsure that the hooked endfZQ of the plateof the bar willalwaysbe positioned inathe'hne'of roo the aperture 6. Itwill befnotedithat means 01" the rigid latch bar construc'tion describedthe grav ty bolt-bar need only move'm one directionfor unlatchin'gaction bodiment of my invention but desire it understood that the sameis susceptible of structural modification within the spirit of theinvention and claims. H

'1; A panic bolt mechanism for doors in cluding a'gravi'ty actuatedb'ar'c'arriedby' and extending substantially vertically of" the scope ofthe appended;

the door and having bolt members con "nested therewith and located atpoints ad-f jacentthe top and bottom edges of the door, j

said bar being movable substantially 'verti cally of the door,stationary abutments adjacent thetop and bottom edges of the door r pivei and in the path of door-op .ing movement of said bolt members whenthe doorls closed and said bar is in its gravity actuated position, amanually operated actuating member movable toward and from the door andarranged to move said bar to position said bolt members to clear saidabutments whereby the door may be moved to open position, with. meansarranged, when the bar is so moved, to hold the sar e in such clearingposition until the door is again closed, and with abutment meansstationary relative to the door and cooperating with the aforesaidholding means. when the door closes, to release said bar.

2. A panic bolt mechanism for doors comprising a gravity-actuated rigidbar structure carried by and extending substantially vertically of thedoor to points adjacent its top and bottom edges, respec tively, andmovable substantially vertically of the door, a stationary abutmentadjacent the bottom edge of the door, a second stationary abutmentadjacent the upper edge of the door, both of said abutments beingpositioned in the path of door-opening movement of said bar structurewhen the door is closed and said structure is in its gravity-actuatedposition, and a cross bar carried by the door to move toward and fromthe same with operative connection to said bar structure wherebymovement of said cross bar relative to said door moves said barstructure to clear said abutments, whereby the door may be moved to openposition, and means carried by the door arranged to cooperate with saidbar structure, when so moved, to hold the same in such clearing positionuntil the door is closed.

8. A panic bolt mechanism for doors comprising a gravity-actuated rigidbar structure carried by and extending substantially vertically of thedoor to points adjacent its top and bottom edges respectively, andmovable substantially vertically of the door, a stationary abutmentadjacent the bottom edge of the door, a second stationary abutmentadjacent the upper edge of the door, one of said abutments providing alatching plate, and said bar structure adjacent thereto being providedwith a cooperating laterally extending hooked member, both of saidabutments being positioned in the path of door-opening movement of saidbar structure when the door is closed and said structure is in thegravity-actuated position, and a bar hingedly carried by and extendingtransversely of the door for movement toward and from the same, withoperative connections between said transverse bar and said bar structurewhereby the swinging movement of said transverse bar toward said doormoves said bar structure vertically of the door to clear said abutments,whereby the door may be moved to open position, and gravity-operatedmeans carried by the door and cooperating with said bar structure, whenso moved, to hold the same in abutment-clearing position until the dooris closed, with abutment means stationary relative to the door andcooperating with said gravity member to release said bar structure whenthe door reaches closed position.

i. A panic bolt mechanism for doors including a gravity-actuatedlatching bar carried by and movable substantially vertically of thedoor, a relatively stationary latching abutment positioned in the pathof dooropening movement of said bar when the door is closed and said baris in its gravityactuated position, manually operable means formovingsaid bar structure to clear said abutment whereby the door may bemoved to open position, and means carried by the door and automaticallycooperating with said bar when so moved, to retain said bar in abutmentclearing position while the door remains open, with an abutment meansstationary relative to the door and cooperating with said bar-retainingmeans, when the door is closed, to release said bar whereby it may moveby gravity into locked position relative to its abutment.

5. In a panic bolt mechanism for doors including a gravity-actuatedlatching bar carried by and movable substantially vertically of thedoor, said bar having an oiiset latching member, a relatively stationaryabutment carried by the door casing and extending in the path ofdoor-opening movement of said latching member when the door is closedand said bar and its latchin memher is in gravity-actuated latchingposition, manually operable means for moving said bar to bring itslatching member in position to clear said abutment whereby the door maybe moved to open position, gravity latching means carried by the doorand automatically cooperating with said latching member, when said baris so moved, to retain said bar and its latching member in abutmentclearing position while the door remains open, with means stationaryrelative to the door and cooperating with said gravity retaining meansupon the closing of the door to release said bar with its latchingmember whereby the latter may be moved by gravity into locked positionrelative to its abutment.

6. A panic bolt mechanism for doors including a gravity-actuatedlatching bar carried by and movable substantially vertically of thedoor, a stationary abutment positioned in the path of door-openingmovement of said bar when the door is closed and I said bar is in itsgravity-actuated position, manually operable means for moving said barto clear said abutment whereby the door may be opened, agravity-actuated tilting latch plate carried by the door and cooperatingwith said bar, when so moved to clearing position, to support the samein such position while the door is open, and means stationary relativeto the door and cooperating with said tilting plate upon the closing ofthe door to move the sameito release sa'idbar whereby it may move bygravity to locked position-relative to its abutment.

7. A panic bolt mechanism for doors iii-- eluding a gravity-actuatedlatching bar carried by and movable substantially vertically of thedoor, a stationary abutment positioned in the, path of door-openingmove-- ment of said bar whenth-e door is closed and 7 said bar is in itsgravity-actuatedposition,

manually operable means for moving'said bar to clear said abutmentwhereby the door may be opened, a tilting latch device loosely ,carriedby the door and normally tending to .move by gravity to cooperate withand support the bar in abutment clearing positlon,

when said bar is so'moved and the door. is

, open, and means stationary relative to the door and positioned tocooperate with said tilting device, when the door is again closed,

abutment whereby the door may be moved to i open Y position, a tiltinglatching plate loosely carriedby the door and provided with a supportingshoulder, said plate, when said bar is moved to abutment clearingposition and said door is opened, being ar- Copies of this patent may beobtained for ranged to tilt by gravity to engage its supporting shoulderwith said bar abutment and to retain-said bar in abutment clearingposition while the door. remains open, and

a stationary releasing member carried by the door casing and arranged,when the door' is lagain .closed,to engage said tilting platejto movethe same to release said bar whereby the latter may move by gravity.

into locking. position relative to its abutment.

V -V r 9; A panic bolt mechanismfor doors,in-'

eluding agravity-factuated latching bar earried by andmovablesubstantially vertically of-the'doorand having a supportingfabut:

mentthereon, a stationary latching abut- Inent carried by the' doorcasingand positioned in the path of door-opening move'- ment of said'barwhenthe bar iscl'osed' and said bar .is in its gravity-actuatedposition, manually operable means for movingisaid bar to a positiontoclear said abutment whereby the door may bemoved to open position, asubstantially .L-shapedtilting latch plate, means .for looselysupporting said plate on said door, said plate having anoit setsupporting shoulderllthereon and nor? mally tending, when said, bar hasbeen .moved to abutment clearing position and the. door hasbeenopened,'to engage sa dshoulder with said bar abutment and supportsaid bar in abutment clearing position until the door is againclosed,"and a releasing abutment carried by the door casing andarranged, whenthe door is closed, to engage said tilting plate and moveitsfisupporting shoulder from said bar abutment whereby the bar'may move by gravity into locking-position relative to its abutment. f RUSSELLSK'IFF GOLD.

.Witnesses:

' NORMAN B. Horn W. \VILLIAMS.

five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents- Washington,D. O.

